Catalysing Change: Solving Hong Kong's Plastic Waste Challenge Through Dynamic Partnerships

Hong Kong has a waste problem, with plastics accounting for 21 per cent of the city’s municipal solid waste (MSW). Robust Government led solutions to improve Hong Kong’s waste management systems are necessary, but business as a collective must also do its part to contribute. TPB advisor, Lianne Ng says collaborative efforts spanning education, cross-sectoral alliances and industry specific cooperation are all critical to advancing waste management solutions in Hong Kong.?

“We need to start with education. From individuals to corporations, the whole of society must grasp waste-related issues and actionable steps they can take. Presently, we have gaps. We see fast food chains phasing out single-use plastics but missing other low-hanging fruit, like segregation of waste when staff members clean up tables. Many of us want to do more with recycling plastics but are still confused about what can and can’t be recycled, or even where to find recycling bins.

Government is best placed to coordinate educational efforts, by leveraging expertise and resources from diverse departments and bringing together industries, corporations, and NGOs for territory-wide, proactive outreach. The side benefit of such cross-sectoral collaboration is that it ensures consistent messaging, which underpins effective waste management. Close coordination across sectors requires uniformity in information. For instance, the same set of information regarding which types of plastic are recyclable, collection locations and channels, status updates and plastic waste impacts should be referenced in all educational materials and discussions.

Collaboration is also essential for propelling ideas and initiatives. Initiatives like “Drink Without Waste”, involving local NGOs, beverage producers, retailers, and waste industry representatives, exemplify the power of cross-sector alliances. Similar groups could tackle F&B and hospitality generated plastic waste, to share insights on waste management strategies and alternative materials and packaging designs, as well as advocate for policies and advance Government efforts. Industry-specific collaboration is equally potent, fostering best practises, knowledge exchange, innovation, funding for research, and joint programmes for positive transformation.”

Collaborative efforts across society are how we need to solve Hong Kong’s waste management challenges but what is it that we need to do? TPB sees a circular economy approach as the missing link, and the way forward. We will explore this topic in an upcoming piece. You can also learn more by joining Lianne at the upcoming ReThink Sustainable Business and Solutions Expo, where she will be moderating the panel discussion: Circular Packaging: Rethinking Solutions to Our Plastics Crisis.